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Small Game Facts and Information
RABBIT
Ontario There is one species
of rabbit and two of hares available to hunters in Ontario eastern
cottons as well as snowshoes and European hares. Cottons and European hares are
restricted to the southern portion of the province between the Great Lakes of
Huron, Ontario, and Erie on into Quebec where farmland and brushy cover provide
suitable habitat. Snowshoe hares are distributed throughout most of the
province where swamps and stands of evergreen trees provide adequate cover.
European hares were introduced to
Ontario during 1912 when nine of the animals from Germany gained their freedom
near Brantford. They flourished in their new home and now are an important
small game species in parts of the province. Information on best locations to
hunt these hares can be obtained from Ministry of Natural Resources offices at
Owen Sound, Simcoe, Aylmer, Wingham, Cambridge, and Huronia.
Besides the species mentioned above,
another hare the white-tailed jack occasionally shows up in the
Rainy River region near the Manitoba border. Season dates in Ontario vary
considerably, depending on management unit. The most liberal season dates have
been September 1 June 15, which is in effect for most of the province in
past years. However, season dates are normally between October 31
February 28 in units 93 and 94. Daily bag limits were six for each species of
rabbit, although there are generally no bag limit for snowshoe hares in some
units.
There were 215,000 cottons harvested by
44,000 hunters during 1980; 271,000 snowshoe hares were bagged by 43,600
hunters; and 18,400 hunters collected 45,500 European hares. |